Malaysia votes 2018

EC rules seen as bid to prevent Mahathir posters being used

Opposition cries foul over curbs on photos for campaign materials

Tun Mahathir Mohamad and Dr Wan Azizah Ismail are leading their respective parties in the opposition coalition against the ruling Barisan Nasional in Malaysia's general election. New rules by the Election Commission will effectively prevent photos of
Tun Mahathir Mohamad and Dr Wan Azizah Ismail are leading their respective parties in the opposition coalition against the ruling Barisan Nasional in Malaysia's general election. New rules by the Election Commission will effectively prevent photos of Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim from being used on posters across the country. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
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Malaysia's opposition has decried a move by the Election Commission (EC) that will effectively prevent photos of Tun Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim being used on posters across the country ahead of the May 9 election.

The EC on Tuesday issued new guidelines for candidates stipulating that photos of only two leaders of a political party - the president and deputy president, or their equivalent - can be used on campaign materials, other than the photo of the candidate for that particular constituency. And the two leaders must be from the party that the candidate represented on Nomination Day, which is this Saturday.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 26, 2018, with the headline EC rules seen as bid to prevent Mahathir posters being used. Subscribe